HOUSTON’S BAT COLONY IN RESIDENCE

Did you know that Houston is home to over one-quarter MILLION Mexican free-tailed bats YEAR-ROUND?   My husband and I took our 2-year-old to view the bats’ evening emergence Saturday night, and I’m pretty sure we enjoyed ourselves even more than our son, Jean-Luc! 

The summer months are your best bet for viewing the highest concentration of bats, who swarm out of their under-the-bridge residence at Waugh and Allen Parkway every night at dusk by the tens of thousands at a time in gorgeous swirls that resemble horizontal tornadoes.  While Houstonians have gathered ad hoc to observe these thrilling mosquito-eating nocturnal hunters forever, the wide observation platform on the east side of the bridge (whence all the bats emerge each night without fail) makes bat-watching an easy endeavor for Houstonians of all ages.  For the more adventurous, try a night kayak or canoe ride under the bridge or hop on one of Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s PONTOON BAT BOAT TOURS!  Just another super cool “perk” to living in Space City!